Welcome To The 77th Annual Hunger Games
by mclarennkoana
Summary: Peace has filled Panem for more than 10 years but after the mysterious death of President Paylor and the sudden appearance of President Ellen Marks, what will the future hold for Katniss, Peeta and their family? Where has Finnick been all this time and how will Panem survive the Hunger Games?


Welcome to the 77th Annual Hunger Games

And may the odds be ever in your favour

Chapter 1

I lay in my bed with no dreams left in me. From my experience I now know that sleep has escaped me so I decided to start my day earlier than expected. I make my way to the childrens' room. Alice looked peaceful in her sleep and Danny's golden curls glimmered in the early rays of twilight. I never realised how much these children looked like Peeta and I. I never realised how _my_ children could impact me on another level that even Peeta would never manage to achieve. A voice speaks:

"You left the bed" Peeta says

"Yeah. I couldn't sleep, you know. Maternal instinct."

He smiles. "When will Junior arrive?"

Finnick Everdeen-Odair Jr., or commonly known as Junior is the son I had with Finnick when I was 17. It turns out that while I had one of my episodes in District 13 President Alma Coin commanded the doctors to harvest one of my eggs, fertilise it with Finnick's DNA and plant the fertilised egg into my womb with the inclusion of altering myself and Finnick's memories in making us think that on the evening of the Victors' Parade, passion ensued and led to the pregnancy. Guilt consumed Finnick until Haymitch realised that our stories weren't fitting in together. We initially thought the Capitol did that just before the Quarter Quell but Plutarch confessed that Coin was responsible after her death.

"Annie said we should expect him in 2 days. District 4 is quite far from 12 but I don't feel comfortable with him travelling alone. He's only 15, that's too young"

Peeta approaches me.

"His father won the Games when he was 14 years old. I'm quite sure the train will bring him here safely. I think the kids will have fun with their big brother around" A smile creeps up on his face. I can't help but smile too.

"Of course but there's a problem. The Celebration is in a week, who's going to take care of them? My mother is all the way in 4 and it doesn't make sense to bring Junior here and then take him back and we're not taking the kids to the Capitol. Rather let him stay with his grandmother and then once the kids go to District 4 they'll see him"

"Sounds like plan"

With what he said, Peeta looked secure in his thoughts. So certain. I on the other hand, am cautious. The day I had Junior I promised to protect all of my kids from harm. I constantly feel the need to be on high alert. It's only natural to worry about the train. Ever since I took part in the Games, I became wary of the Capitol. Eventually my wariness evolved into paranoia. It's sort of like a reflex for those who've survived. Peeta keeps his under wraps but there are days he doesn't hide it. He prefers to stay away from the kids for their sake. Today was definitely not one of those days.

A few hours have passed and as I make breakfast for the children a special broadcast on the television appears. It's from the Capitol. There haven't been many mandatory broadcasts since the Rebellion. It made me uneasy, as if I'm expecting some bad news until I realise this is no longer a dystopian world. Caesar Flickerman's successor appears on TV, his wild hair a vivid crimson.

"Good morning all of Panem. Today marks a very painful day for Panem because we have lost a great leader. President Paylor was found dead in her sleep chambers."

I look up from what I was doing and Peeta walks in the kitchen. He gives me a concerned look, as if this bulletin had some hidden meaning.

"President Paylor was a Commander from District 8 who was part of the Rebellion and after the death of our interim president, she was voted in by the mayors of the remaining Districts. In the meantime, our Vice President Ms Ellen Marks will be the new leader of Panem and her inauguration will take place in a few days. Stay tuned this whole week to hear updates on the funeral and the preparations for the new president."

Horn of Plenty ends the broadcast and an episode of 'Lemon Juice and Fruitcake', a Panem childrens' favourite, resumes. Alice looks at me with curious eyes and asks what happened. I hoped she wouldn't notice these affairs because of her age but she was smart so I had no choice but to answer her.

"Alice, the president has passed away. No one knows what happened but this means that Panem will have a new president."

New president. The thought unnerves me for some reason.

I proceed to feed the baby. As Alice finished with her breakfast Peeta offered to take both her and the boy to the school and day-care respectively. I agree and leave them with a kisses that leave a promise that I'll see them again tonight.

Their absence allows me to think about what I just heard on the bulletin. Paylor was found dead in her bedroom and immediately a new president arises. All I know about Ellen Marks is that she used to help Prim and my mother in the hospital in District 13. We didn't speak much except for when she told me to calm down or to assure me that I wasn't in danger. I think I threw something at her once. She then moved with my mother to District 4 to help her run the hospital then decided to join a political party. It allowed her to move to the Capitol, then she found true power. She proved herself useful so much that she was voted in as Vice President. Now she is the president of Panem. It shouldn't bother me so much because there is no way she could be like Snow. It was impossible to be like Snow, not even his own granddaughter could be like him. New thoughts invade my head and I think about my children. 2 that are 30 minutes away and 1 that is all the way in District 4 and I worry.

There isn't a day that passes by without me worrying about my children. It's a strong feeling that doesn't easily go away. I always feel like I need to protect them, even if the threat is non-existent… even at the expense of others.

The same way I felt for Peeta during the Games.


End file.
